Geo: 7.6927, -81.6235We spent all day in transit through the Panama Canal, whichis 50 miles long. The French tried to build a canal in the 1880s under theleadership of Ferdinand De Lesseps, he of Suez Canal fame. Unfortunately, they didn'tsurvey and plan it properly, 1000s of men died of malaria and yellow fever andthe company went bankrupt. The Americans took over in 1903 and the canal openedin 1914. They spent the first two years surveying and planning and getting ridof mosquitoes which by now was recognised as the vector for the diseases whichhad killed so many. A lot of the original workings and machines still operatetoday. A new wider section has been built more recently to accommodate thebigger ships. It cost Regent $201,000 to pass through the canal!We entered from the Pacific side and could see
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